Asking about someone's family

Recently when I was facilitating a brainstorming session for a sister organisation, they were comparing the closeness of their team in Malaysia with their counterpart in Costa Rica. It was mentioned during the discussion that their Costa Rican counterpart are such a tight team they will ask about their colleague's family member by name. In other words, knowing someone family member and asking about them is taken to show closeness and caring.

I know of this businessman in Malaysia who would almost always ask you how you are and your family after the customary greetings. He was in San Jose for to meet someone he had been communication via email and phone up to that point and he did his usual and asked "How is your family?" To his surprise, he was asked "Which one?!" It turns out that this person has a few!

Now here comes a burnt finger! Most parents love to talk about their kids or ask if you have kids. I was at a birthday party sometime last year and there was this man carrying a little child. I have met this man a few times before but don't really know him. I assumed that it is his kid he is carrying and was trying see if the kid does look like this man and was about to make the remark that the kid looks like him when he frantically waved his hand and said, "This is not my child. We are not related!" It turns out that the child was his wife's nephew! I would be implying an affair had I said it! Very awkward and embarrassing. I was very lucky this man just laugh at the whole situation. It could have been worst than a burnt finger. I shouldn't have made the assumption and could have just ask if that is his child!